The vast majority of Quebecers support Bill 62, the Quebec government’s ban on wearing face coverings while dispensing or receiving government services, but that support drops to about 40 per cent elsewhere in Canada, an Angus-Reid Institute poll suggests.

While Bill 62 targets face coverings of any kind when dealing with public services, critics have charged it targets Muslim women who wear the niqab, a face veil considered an expression of religious devotion.

The survey question focused on the niqab itself, and nationwide, 40 per cent of respondents replied the veil should be prohibited in government offices. However, support among remaining respondents was mitigated, with 31 per cent saying wearing the veil should be “discouraged but tolerated” and only 28 per cent replying the veils should be “welcome.”

The same question applied to Quebec respondents found 70 per cent in favour of the face veil ban, 23 per cent calling for the veil to be discouraged but tolerated and only eight per cent saying it should be welcome.

The perception of the face covering ban varied from one region to another outside Quebec. Complete prohibition received the most support in Alberta (46 per cent) and Saskatchewan (52 per cent), which were most likely to say niqabs should be “prohibited” at government facilities, while 41 per cent of respondents in Manitoba were the most likely to say they should be “welcome.”

Support for welcoming the niqab was highest (42 per cent) among respondents age 18-34, while 62 per cent of past Conservative voters favoured a ban.

The poll results were compiled from a pair of online surveys conducted by the Angus Reid Institute, one from Oct. 16-23 and one from Oct. 25-26, 2017, among representative randomized samples of 1,971 and 1,511 Canadian adults, respectively.

Approval was strongest in Quebec, at 76 per cent. In much of the rest of Canada, more than 60 per cent back the law. Atlantic Canada (57 per cent) is the only region where support is under 60 per cent.

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